Egypt’s Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said on Wednesday that Egypt and France are still working to determine the cause of the crash of an EgyptAir flight into the Mediterranean Sea in May.
During an interview on TV host Khairy Ramadan’s program “Momkin” (Possible) on satellite channel CBC, Fathy said that a technical inspection of the debris is almost finished, but prosecutors are continuing their investigations into the incident.
EgyptAir flight MS804, an Airbus A320 plane, plunged into the eastern Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19. All 66 people on board were killed, including 15 French passengers. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Audio from the flight recorder of the crashed aircraft mentions a fire on board the plane in its final moments, the investigation committee said in July.
Earlier analysis of the plane's flight data recorder showed there had been smoke in the lavatory and avionics bay, while recovered wreckage from the jet's front section showed signs of high-temperature damage and soot.
During the interview on Wednesday night, the Aviation Minister expected EgyptAir to gain senior standing among international airliners, adding that the national company has different plans to deal with crises it faces.
Fathy added that EgyptAir is one of the companies most committed to periodic maintenance of planes, with regular maintenance at EgyptAir reaching 98 percent.
He said that plane maintenance in Egypt is a “gold mine” that brings hard currency, adding that EgyptAir has over 32,000 workers on the highest levels.
Fathy said that Egypt has 22 airports in different governorates, but only seven are operational. However, all the other airports are well equipped, he said.
